Adjustable exercise apparatus

ABSTRACT

An exercise machine comprising a support and a frame pivotally attached at one end to the support, and a group of weights adapted to move along the frame. The other end of the frame including handles to pivotally move the frame up and down where there is a means controlling remotely the position of the weights on the frame.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an adjustable exercise apparatus usingweights, whereby the user may wish to adjust the weight that theyexercise against.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

Whilst this specification will describe the preferred embodiment it isto be understood that this is by way of example only and it can be usedon other exercise machines where the user may wish to vary the weightused to exercise with.

Exercise machines, such as a chest press are strengthening exercisesthat in the case of a chest press work people's chest, shoulders, andarms. There have been provided quite a few types of these exercisemachines. For example, a seated chest press machine is an uprightversion of the standard lying bench press machine. The arms, placedunder a weight-bearing load, are pushed away for the chest, and returnto the starting position.

Particularly, to strengthen the muscles with maximum effectiveness, itis preferable to change the weights during the repetition of contractingand relaxing the muscles. Thus, assistance is required to adjust theweight applied to the machine when the user exercises to strengthen themuscles using a conventional variable weight machine such as a seatedchest press machine. At other times the user may simply wish to exerciseusing heavier or lighter weights. To do this they have to manually addor remove weights from the machine which disrupts the exercise routineespecially if for example the user wants to progressively lift lessweight as they reach exhaustion.

If is an object of this invention to overcome at least some of theaforementioned problems or provides the user with a useful alternative.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In a first aspect the invention is for an exercise machine comprising asupport;

a frame pivotally attached at its end to the support, a group of weightsadapted to move along the frame;the other end of the platform including handles to pivotally move theframe up and down; anda means controlling remotely the position of the weights on the frame.

In preference the upright support includes at least one post.

In preference the frame includes a rail along which a group of weightsslide.

In preference the weights are connected to an electric motor through apulley located adjacent the support.

In preference the operation of the motor is controlled by a controllerlocated on one handle to move the weights forwardly or rearwardly.

In preference the frame rests on the support when not being used.

In preference the machine is a chest press.

It should be noted that any one of the aspects mentioned above mayinclude any of the features of any of the other aspects mentioned aboveand may include any of the features of any of the embodiments describedbelow as appropriate.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Preferred features, embodiments and variations of the invention may bediscerned from the following Detailed Description which providessufficient information for those skilled in the art to perform theinvention. The Detailed Description is not to be regarded as limitingthe scope of the preceding Summary of the Invention in any way. TheDetailed Description will refer to several drawings as follows.

The description will refer to several exercise machines but it is notintended to limit the invention to these types of machines only for anyexercise machine may use the present invention to enable the user tochange the total weight without having to increase the physical weightof items used.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a seated chest press according to afirst preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of another seated chest press according tothe first preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a non-lifted seated chest press bearingvariable weights according to a second preferred embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a lifted seated chest press bearing allweights according to a second preferred embodiment of the presentinvention; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a lifted seated chest press bearingvariable weights according to the second preferred embodiment of thepresent invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following detailed description of the invention refers to theaccompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numberswill be used throughout the drawings and the following description torefer to the same and like parts. Dimensions of certain parts shown inthe drawings may have been modified and/or exaggerated for the purposesof clarity or illustration.

Referring now to FIG. 1 there is illustrated a seated chest press 10including an upright support 12 at the back consisting of at least onevertical post 14.

Frame 18 includes a rail 20 extending forward from the upright support12 and a transverse distal web 22. The other end of the rail 20 supportshandles 26 a and 26 b respectively. A chair 50 is placed in theappropriate position so that the user engages the handles 26 a, 26 b andlifts the frame 18 that pivots at the transverse distal web 22 againstthe upright support 12. Legs 28 support the frame 18 when it is in therest position. Alternately the user may, if the machine is tall enoughappropriately stand.

A group of weights 30 slide along the frame 18 The weight is attached toa wire 38 that is fed through a pulley 40 and be able to be wound orunwound using a motor (not shown), the operation of which is controlledby controller 44 located on one of the handles.

Thus, the user can control the position of the weights on the frame 18as the weights are slid along frame 18. The weight pivots at its rearend at a location higher than the handles even when lifted. Thus, theweights will always tend to try and move forward but are constrained bythe wire.

The only variant in FIG. 2 when compared with FIG. 1 is the group ofweights instead of a single circular weight.

Now turning to FIGS. 3 to 5 according to the second preferredembodiment, a seated chest press 10 bearing variable or all weights islaid down or lifted. The seated chest press 10 comprises a rectangularframe 18 with two transverse bars located at the distal end and near theintermedia, across which there two slides 20. There is no vertical post14 in the second embodiment like in the first embodiment. It means thatthe user engages the handles 26 a, 26 b and pushes down to lift theframe 18 that pivots at the transverse distal web 22 against a support12 which is a lower one in comparison with that of the first embodiment.

The reader will appreciate that the more forward the weights are theharder it will be to lift it. A user may therefore do some repetitiveexercises with the weights being quite forward and then move thembackwards as the muscles get tired and can no longer lift the totalweight. This can be adjusted by the user simply controlling the motorwhen in the lying position without having to add or remove weights fromthe chest press. Furthermore, the user can adjust the lifted weights bysliding a desirable quantity of the weights forward in the frame suchthat more scale of the weights can be chosen by the user to do themuscle exercise.

Safety features may be added that are not shown such as stops at thefront of frame to prevent the weights from sliding out to name just afew.

Further advantages and improvements may very well be made to the presentinvention without deviating from its scope. Although the invention hasbeen shown and described in what is conceived to be the most practicaland preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be madetherefrom within the scope of the invention, which is not to be limitedto the details disclosed herein but is to be accorded the full scope ofthe claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent devices andapparatus. Any discussion of the prior art throughout the specificationshould in no way be considered as an admission that such prior art iswidely known or forms part of the common general knowledge in thisfield.

As discussed in the preamble this embodiment may be used on differentexercise machines not just a chest press. It may be used on machineswhere the user may squat or raise their arms vertically in a standingposition, on leg presses, bench presses and calf exercise machines butto name a few. In addition, whilst the preferred embodiment teaches theuse of an electric motor to move a weight alongside a frame, themovement may be achieved by other means, such as hydraulic or evenmanual that the skilled addressee would have no difficulty in making.

Typically, the weights slide along the frame whereby the weights arelower in a position when away from the user and higher in positioncloser to the user. This assist in ensuring that the weights do notslide under gravity towards the user. However, if that would be thecase, a person skilled in the art would be able to use well knownengineering means to lock the weights in position if that was not thecase.

The drawings assist the reader in understanding the proposed inventionbut are not to be taken as the final design. Thus, the drawingscurrently do not include pivot points/joints that are required to enablethe exercise machine to operate. These features are to be understoodwould be obvious to a person skilled in the art. The thrust of theinvention that there is an exercise machine where the weights can bemoved in a direction generally towards or away from the user (notnecessarily in the horizontal plane) to increase the torque necessaryfor the user to interact with the weight and that this can be donewhilst the user is in the process of exercising rather than having todisengage with the machine to adjust the weight that they want toexercise with.

LIST OF COMPONENTS

The drawings include the following integers.

-   -   10 seated chest press    -   12 upright support    -   14 post    -   18 frame    -   20 rail    -   22 transverse distal web    -   26 a,b handles    -   28 legs    -   30 weights    -   34 barbell    -   38 wire    -   40 pulley    -   44 controller    -   50 chair

The reader will now appreciate the present invention which provides anexercise machine such as a chest press where a user can preciselycontrol the increase and decrease of weight without assistance throughthe adjustment of the position of the weights, to achieve maximalphysical effect, and which allows one to safely exercise.

In the present specification and claims (if any), the word “comprising”and its derivatives including “comprises” and “comprise” include each ofthe stated integers but does not exclude the inclusion of one or morefurther integers.

1. An exercise machine, comprising: a support; a frame pivotally attached at one end to the support, supporting a group of weights adapted to move along the frame; the other end of the frame including handles to pivotally move the frame up and down; and a means controlling remotely the position of the weights on the frame.
 2. An exercise machine as in claim 1 wherein the support includes at least one post.
 3. An exercise machine as in claim 1 wherein the frame includes a rail along which the group of weights slide.
 4. An exercise machine as in claim 1 wherein the weights driven by along the frame by an electric motor through a pulley located adjacent the support.
 5. An exercise machine as in claim 4 wherein the operation of the motor is controlled by a controller located on one handle to move the weights forwardly or rearwardly.
 6. An exercise machine wherein the frame rests on the support when not being used.
 7. An exercise machine wherein the machine is a chest press. 